Ensure regular cleaning of all areas
As still little is known with regard to how long coronavirus can last on various surfaces, it is important to take thorough precautions in order to eliminate as much risk as possible in your working area. A regular cleaning routine should be put in place, with cleaning scheduled between each use of meeting rooms and waiting area, when contamination may have been possible if an employee or customer was carrying the virus unbeknownst to them. Ensure this cleaning routine is maintained to protect the safety of staff and customers.
Use technology to enable remote work and reduce in-person contact
Make use of some of the incredible remote working software and tools that are now available and have levelled up in order to cope with demand. Video-conferencing is now easier than ever, and there are many options that you can choose from depending on your specific meeting needs. Try to run all your meetings virtually and you will be able to effectively reduce or eliminate all but essential in-person meeting contact while this is still necessary.
Be flexible and consider non-peak working hours
If in your line of business it is necessary for staff and or customers to attend the office, consider whether you can shift your working day in order to miss busier periods and rush hours. This way, employees who commute to work or customers required to attend appointments and meetings who travel via public means of transport have less chance of coming into contact with as many people, so reducing the risk of catching the virus.
Ensure employees have a complete understanding of the rules
When setting out the company rules and guidelines in accordance with government COVID rules, ensure that all employees have a clear understanding of these and that they are communicated thoroughly. A full understanding will mean that there is no confusion and operations can continue to run as smoothly as possible within the guidelines. Circulate the rules via email, company intranet and any other means of communicating with your employees, and also offer up the opportunity for questions and feedback so employees know what to do should they have any questions arising from them.
Provide work areas that are socially distanced
If there is no other option for your employees and it is absolutely necessary for them to attend the office to carry out their work, provide working areas in which social distance can be maintained. In areas where there may not be enough space to socially distance effectively, reduce the number of staff attending at the same times by putting in place a shift or rota programme.
Prepare cleaning stations for staff and customer use
To maximise safety against the virus in the workplace, set up cleaning stations throughout your space that offer hand sanitiser staff can use as they move around the space to carry out their day-to-day activities. Setting up these cleaning points also acts as a reminder to staff that they need to be vigilant in protecting themselves and others in the space. Whe they are engrossed in their daily work routines, these cleaning stations will act as a helpful reminder.
